StoryBrooke High
by FurySaidtoaMouse
Summary: High School AU. More one-shotish than following a plot. Main ships used will be CaptainSwan, Sleeping Warrior, Rumbelle, Snowing, and Outlaw Queen, although others will have little appearances. (Suggestions for chapters are welcome)
1. New girl

Belle French nervously walked down the hallway to her class. It was her first day at Storybrooke High, and she was definitely lost. Biting her lip, she glanced down at her schedule. She was supposed to be in Algebra 2 at the moment. An older kid pushed her out of the way as they headed down the hall. Belle put her head in her hands. "Hey, do you need help?" Belle looked up to see a girl with blonde hair looking at her. She nodded. "Let me see your schedule." Belle handed it to her. "Algebra 2 with Mr. Spencer? That's where I'm headed. It's just down this hall." The blonde girl smiled. "I'm Emma, by the way."

"Belle. Nice to meet you."

"Are you new here?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome to Storybrooke." They stopped outside the door. "Well, here we are." They walked in. Belle took a seat close to the door. Emma walked around and sat behind a boy with light brown hair. He nodded in acknowledgement. The class turned to listen to Mr. Spencer talk about the course expectations for the year. Belle listened attentively. Emma silently prayed for the clock to move faster. Finally the bell rang. Belle looked back at her schedule. Lunch. She sighed and walked to the cafeteria.

Tray in hand, Belle scanned the cafeteria for an empty table. She found one and started to walk over when she heard someone calling her name. Emma was walking toward her. "Hey,"

"Hi"

"Do you have anywhere to sit?" Belle shrugged. "You can sit with us." Emma smiled and led Belle to a table. A group of girls looked up and waved at them. Before Emma could get over, a boy with black hair and blue eyes stood up and blocked their way.

"Hello Swan. You look lovely today."

Emma scoffed. "Out of the way, Hook." He smiled, clearly having no intention to move.

"You could always say please." Across the cafeteria, a group of guys started calling for Hook. He grinned. "It appears I'm being summoned. Until next time, love." With a wink, he strode off. Emma rolled her eyes and slammed her tray down at her friends' table. Belle looked at the girls at the table. A brunette with a pixie cut was talking to a girl with red streaks in her hair. A blonde girl was finishing her homework. Another girl was texting.

"Hey guys, this is Belle. She's new. Belle, this is Mary Margaret, Ruby, Ashley, and Ariel." The girls smiled at Belle.

"So Ems, what was that over there with Hook?" Ruby asked, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"Nothing of importance." Emma said stiffly. Ruby looked skeptical.

"Hook? Is that the guy you were talking to on the way here?" Belle asked. Emma nodded. "Why do you call him Hook?"

"Because he's a manwhore?" Emma supplied. Ashley and Ruby laughed.

"Everyone does. It's just sort of his nickname. Nobody really knows the reason." Mary Margaret explained.

Ruby leaned over to Belle. "Hook's got a major thing for Emma. She likes him too, just won't admit it." She whispered. Emma glanced in their direction, making Ruby giggle. She sat upright and changed the subject. Belle found that she liked these girls. She had always had a hard time making friends because she was quiet, but these new people seemed kind and welcoming. Maybe a new school wouldn't be so bad at all.

The bell rang. Ariel looked at Belle's schedule. "English with Ms. Nova? That's my next class too! It's in the 500 wing. This way!" Ariel ran off, Belle hurrying to follow. She was so focused on following Ariel that she crashed right into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" A boy with longish brown hair turned around angrily. Belle stuttered out an apology several times. The boy's face softened. "It's okay, just be more careful next time." Belle nodded and gave a half-smile, which he returned. She continued to Ariel.

"What just happened?"

"I bumped into him." Belle shrugged. "Who is he?"

"That's Gold. And that was the nicest I've ever heard him speak to someone. What did you do to him?" Ariel asked, amazed. Belle blushed. He hadn't seemed that awful. She glanced back in his direction on her way out.

Gold watched the girl leave. There was something different about her. He hoped their paths would cross again.


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Mulan sat in her favorite section in the library. The back corner had a few comfortable armchairs, which made studying better. More importantly, it was quiet. She could be alone to think. As Mulan worked through her biology homework, she heard steady footsteps coming toward her. She looked up to see a beautiful girl with auburn hair and blue eyes. She smiled. "Hello Aurora"

"Hey Mulan," the girl replied, yawning. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine. Are you feeling ok? You seem really tired." Aurora was in several honors classes, and as a result pulled more all-nighters than should be legal. Mulan was concerned about her friend.

"Oh, I'm fine. Sorry to distract you."

"It's no problem. Sit down." Mulan gestured to the chair next to her. As much as Mulan liked being alone, seeing Aurora was the happiest part of her day.

"Ok" Aurora curled up in the big armchair. Her eyes drooping shut, she muttered "Do me a favor and wake me when the bell rings." Mulan chuckled and nodded. Aurora smiled and fell asleep. Returning to her biology work, Mulan couldn't help but be happy. She loved spending time with Aurora. There was something different about her, something special. It was nice to have the company while she was working, even though that company was fast asleep. Mulan glanced at her sleeping companion. Aurora looked so peaceful in her sleep. Strands of hair fell over her face. Mulan smiled. A librarian walked by.

"Is she ok?" she asked, gesturing to Aurora. Mulan nodded. The librarian smiled and continued on her way.

The bell rang. Mulan packed her bag and shook Aurora's shoulder. She stirred, blearily opening her eyes. Aurora smiled at her friend, who grinned in return. They stood up and headed for the door. Aurora stopped abruptly. Mulan followed her friend's line of sight. There, standing in a group of friends, was Philip. He and Aurora had recently broken up. Aurora hadn't really talked much about it, but Mulan could tell that it had been hard on her. She touched Aurora's hand. "Are you alright?"

Aurora was broken from her trance and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's go."


	3. Shop Talk

Belle lazily wiped down the counter at her dad's store. It had been a slow day, and she was bored out of her mind. She slumped back onto a stool and picked up her book. She was so focused that she didn't hear the bell on the door ring.

"Gulliver's Travels. Excellent book." Belle jumped at the customer's voice. She looked up to see it was none other than Gold. He smiled weakly. She grinned in return and put down her book.

"How can I help you today, Mr. Gold?"

He held up a slip of paper. "My mom won this in a raffle. She sent me to pick it up." Belle smiled and took the paper. She went to the back of the store to get the prize.

"Is that all?" She held up a box with a little smile.

"Yes. Thank you." Gold looked around. "This is a lovely shop. Who's the owner?"

"My dad, actually. He bought it with a friend. They just opened, hence the lack of organization." Belle responded. Gold smiled.

"I work just a few doors down. At the pawn shop."

"Really? I guess I'll see you around then"

"Looking forward to it." Gold smiled shyly, then headed for the door, leaving Belle to her book.


	4. Carpool

Tink held her books close to her chest and readjusted her hat as she walked across the parking lot on the way home. It was a cold day, and she was looking forward to getting home as quickly as possible. Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice when a car pulled up next to her. The driver's seat window rolled down.

"Tink, are you walking home?" Tink bent over to see who it was. Robin Hood smiled back at her. In the passenger seat, his best friend, Hook, was looking out the window. Tink nodded. "Get in." Robin said. "It's freezing out here." She reluctantly got into the back seat. Had Hook been alone, she would have been more concerned. But Robin was a nice guy. Robin rolled his window back up, then turned to his friend. "Killian, stop checking Emma out. It's creepy."

Hook smirked. "Don't think I didn't notice you looking at Regina Mills through your rearview mirror when I got in the car." Tink giggled as Robin blushed slightly. He drove out of the parking lot. "So, Tink," Hook tried to make conversation. "Why do people call you 'Tink' anyway?"

Tink shrugged. "Why do people call you Hook?"

"Point taken." Hook resumed looking out the window. Robin smiled. It was rare that a girl didn't immediately fawn over Hook.

"Do you need directions or anything?" Tink asked shyly from the back.

"No." Robin replied. "You live down by David Nolan, right?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"I have my ways." he joked. "Hey, do you guys have time for a quick stop?" Tink nodded. Hook shrugged. "Great. Let's get coffee."

The unlikely trio sat in the corner of a small coffee shop. They drank their coffee in silence. Robin finally broke the silence. "So, what do you guys think of junior year so far?"

"It's awful." Tink said.

"I concur" Hook responded. Robin laughed as the two began exchanging stories about awful teachers and difficult assignments, occasionally cutting in with his own from junior year. The conversation came easily to the group after that. Tink found that she actually enjoyed the company of these two guys. They weren't like she expected at all. The group continued talking as they got back in Robin's car and drove to Tink's house.

"Thank you." Tink said, getting out of the car as they pulled up at her house.

"No problem." Robin replied. "Let me know if you need a ride home again."

"I will." She smiled and walked to her door. Robin drove off.

"Well, that was surprisingly fun. She's nothing like I thought she'd be." Hook commented. Tink had always been quiet, so he figured she would be shy. He'd been surprised when she started talking openly, especially when he realized that she was his equal in sarcasm.

Robin chuckled. "I thought that'd be the case."


	5. Music to my Ears

"Mulan, what is this?" Aurora said as she scrolled through her friend's iPod selections.

"I don't remember saying you could look through that." Aurora ignored her and continued.

"How many boy bands do you have on this thing? I never took you for the boy band type." She teased.

"Give that back."

"Not yet. What else do you have hiding on here?" Mulan made a grab for the device, but Aurora held it above her head, laughing.

"Aurora, I'm serious."

"Hold on,"

"_Aurora_" Mulan glared as her friend grinned impishly. Then she returned to her task.

"Oh my god, is that Britney Spears?" Aurora laughed.

"Ok, you've had your fun. Now give it back."

"Give me a minute. You're cute when you're mad." Mulan scowled at her friend, who was completely oblivious. "You have an entire playlist for traditional Chinese music." Aurora noted. She wasn't teasing this time, just curious.

Mulan shrugged. "My parents want me to be in touch with my heritage. If it makes them happy, I'll listen to some songs. A lot of them are really pretty."

Aurora looked serious. "I think it's really sweet that you want to make your parents happy." Mulan smiled softly. Aurora continued. "That still doesn't explain the Jesse McCartney though."


	6. Study buddies

"Hey" Mulan approached Belle during their study period. Belle looked up. "You're in Ms. Nova's class with me, right?" Belle nodded. "Do you understand what's going on in this play?" She sat down across the table, throwing her copy of _A Midsummer Night's Dream _down.

Belle nodded. "Basically, Demetrius wants to marry Hermia, but she's in love with Lysander. And Helena loves Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander run away together, and the other two follow them. Meanwhile, the fairy King and Queen are in the middle of an argument, so the King gets Puck to put a potion on the queen's eyes that makes her fall in love with a man with a donkey's head."

Mulan snorted. "That's the most ridiculous plot for anything I've ever read in school."

"It may be. It's my favorite Shakespeare play though. I like that everyone ends up happy at the end."

"So what's going on here?" Mulan opened to a scene.

"Oh! Hermia and Lysander are planning to run away together."

"Why?"

"Because they're in love."

"That's crazy." Mulan was beginning to understand why she never liked love stories. The characters make insane decisions and attribute it all to "true love" when they were just really bad at planning.

"You're questioning them eloping in the same play where a fairy queen falls in love with a donkey?"

"Excellent point." They both laughed, and Belle continued to explain the play.

On the other side of the room, Tink and Emma were working on a project for their history class. They had always gotten along, so it was easy enough to work together. They looked over their notes, hoping for something they could use. Tink glanced through the doorway in time to see Hook walking by. She smiled. He nodded back. Emma looked in their direction. When she saw who it was, she rolled her eyes and got back to work.

"He's really not bad once you get to know him." Tink said after seeing Emma's reaction.

"Yeah. I'll take your word on that." Emma glanced at Tink. "I didn't know you and Hook were friends."

"Like I said, he's not a bad guy."

"Tell that to the leather jacket." Tink laughed. Emma was a good person, but she could be so judgmental.

"You never know, he might surprise you." There was a pause, then Emma started talking about their project again, clearly avoiding the subject. Tink rolled her eyes and got back to work.


	7. Diner drama

**AN: hey! huge thanks to everyone who's followed/faved/reviewed this. I'm so glad you like the story. Who else is really happy the hiatus is over? Anyway, this chapter was a suggestion from KendraCs. Enjoy!**

Emma sat in a booth at the back of Granny's Diner, studying. She only looked up when Ruby came around to refill her hot chocolate. It was a slow day at the diner, so she had enough peace and quiet to concentrate on her textbook.

"Civil War. Good times." Emma tensed up at the voice. _His voice._ She put the book down to see the last person on Earth she ever wanted to see.

"What are you doing here?" She said with a glare. The brown-haired boy smiled and sat down.

"I came to see you."

"Well, now you've seen me. Get out."

"Come on Ems, don't be like that."

"Leave me alone."

"You look nice today." He said in hopes of getting her to calm down. It didn't work.

"Neal, I don't want to talk to you. The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better." But he kept talking.

Hook walked into the diner to order lunch. He glanced around the room. That's when he saw Emma. With a guy. She didn't seem happy, and Hook assumed the guy was the cause. Granny, the owner of the diner, called Ruby over. "Hey, who's that talking to Emma?"

"Neal. Cassidy." Ruby replied. She said the name like one might say "history finals" or "the black plague". Granny watched the table with suspicion. The boy's hand was sliding across the table, reaching for Emma's. She pulled her hand off the table and glared at the boy. Hook knew Emma wouldn't like it, but he had to find out who this guy was, and try to get him to leave her alone. Putting on his most confident smirk, he strode over to the table.

"Hello Swan, I was wondering if you had notes from physics. I was out last week-"

"You were cutting class last week." She said with an eye roll, but looked through her bag for the notes anyway. Neal looked up at Hook.

"Who are you?" He said warily.

"Killian Jones." Hook said. "I'm a friend of Emma's." Emma glared at him. Friend was not the word she'd use to describe Hook. He looked back, mentally telling her to let him help. "Who are you?"

"I'm Neal" he said simply. The two boys stared at each other, each unsure how to react to the other. Hook leaned on the back of Emma's seat. Neal decided to ignore him. "So Emma, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"I'm busy." She said, not looking up. She found her physics notebook and handed it to Hook.

"Thanks, love." Neal eyed Hook warily.

"Really," Neal said, "what are you doing?"

"None of your business." She finally met his eyes. Neal glanced back at Hook questioningly. Emma's face hardened and she stood up. Both boys followed her.

Emma walked over to the counter to pay. Ruby smiled and took the money. "Thanks Emma. I'll see you later." She looked at Hook and Neal questioningly. Knowing how Emma felt about the two, whatever was going on could not be good. Emma shot her a look to let her know that everything was fine. She turned to see Hook and Neal. She scoffed and pushed past them toward the door. Neal glared at Hook and tried to follow her. Hook held up a hand to stop him.

"Let her go, mate. She doesn't want to talk."

"Yeah, well you don't know what you're talking about."

"No, but I know Emma." Neal brushed Hook's hand out of the way and headed for the door.

"Hey Neal!" Ruby called out. He turned around. "Order's up" She said, nodding to a takeout box on the counter. He sighed and grabbed the box, rummaging through his pockets to pay for the food. He threw some crumpled dollar bills on the counter and went to the door just as Emma's yellow bug pulled out of the parking lot. Hook and Ruby shared a smug look.

"Nice meeting you." Hook mumbled.


	8. Piece of Cake?

Mary Margaret hummed as she read her book. Then, her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Ruby." The voice on the other end sounded stressed.

"Hey Ruby, what's up?"

"Do you think you can come over? Granny's birthday is tomorrow, and I wanted to make her a cake. And let's just say, there's a reason I don't cook." She sighed. "Help me with the second try?"

"Ok, I'll be right over. Call up Emma too. Let's make a day out of it."

Ruby squealed. "Thank you so so much. I owe you."

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes even if Ruby couldn't see. "Goodbye Ruby."

A few minutes later, Mary Margaret knocked on Ruby's door. Emma opened it. "Oh thank God, someone who knows what they're doing." She grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her into the kitchen. Ruby was leaning against the counter staring at the recipe book.

Mary Margaret peered over her friend's shoulder at the recipe book. "Have you guys set out butter so that it's soft enough to use when the time comes?"

"Were we supposed to?" Ruby asked. Mary Margaret shot her a look. "Ok, I'll go get some."

"Alright, you're going to need baking powder, and some more flour." Ruby nodded and got a box from the cabinet. "No, that's baking soda."

"Is there a difference?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Ruby," Emma griped, "next time use the pre-made stuff."

Granny came home a few hours later to a messy kitchen. "Ruby Lucas, what in God's name is going on here? It looks like something exploded in here!"

"Something probably did" Emma muttered.

"Hi Granny," Ruby smiled weakly. "We were trying to make you a cake." The timer went off. Mary Margaret pulled a pan out of the oven. Inside was a misshapen, burnt object that could hardly be identified as cake. Granny chuckled and picked up a phone. "What are you doing?"

"Ordering pizza. There's no way I'm letting you kids eat that."

"But it's for your birthday. We're supposed to do something nice for you."

"Well, not burning down the house would be a good start." She patted Ruby's shoulder. "If you want, you can pick up a cake at the grocery store when you go to get the pizza."

"Ok." Ruby sighed.

Granny smiled and hugged her granddaughter. "Oh don't worry honey, it's the thought that counts."

Ruby smiled back. "Happy Birthday, Granny"


	9. An Unlikely Match

Regina Mills didn't have many friends. As senior class president, she had a lot of power in the school. Most people were afraid of her; she was abrasive, manipulative, and cunning. Long story short, she could be downright evil.

So naturally, Robin was incredibly surprised that he didn't hate her. He actually kind of liked her. And naturally, Robin's friends began to question his mental state.

"You're insane."

"Come on, John-"

"Personally, I agree." Hook said. "Regina Mills is the last person you'd want to be with at this school."

"Guys, really?" Robin looked at his friends. "Back me up here."

"Sorry man, you're on your own." Jefferson shrugged.

"You may be right. I think there's more to Regina than meets the eye." Tink offered.

"Thank you"

One day, Robin found her in the hallway. He leaned on the locker next to hers. "Hey Regina" He said with his most charming smile.

"Hello Robin" she said coolly. She opened her locker, not even looking up.

"How was your day?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just making conversation." He shrugged. She rolled her eyes. A textbook fell from her locker. Robin bent down to get it. He handed it to her.

"Thanks." She said warily.

"No problem. So, I was wondering, if you're not doing anything this weekend, maybe we could-"

"No." Regina shut her locker.

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Don't need to." She started walking away.

"Oh come on Regina," The brunette shot him a death glare. Robin shut his mouth and held up his hands.

"Go away Robin." Regina said edgily. She didn't wait for him to respond, and just continued down the hallway. Robin watched her leave, dejected.

Killian had seen the whole thing and folded his arms. "Well, she didn't physically injure you. That's surprising."

"Shut up."

The next day, he tried again, with similar results. And so it continued for several days

Regina groaned. "Robin, how long are you going to keep this up?"

"As long as it takes." Something was telling him not to give up, and it certainly wasn't his friends.

"Just be glad I haven't reported you for harassment yet." She sighed and walked away. Robin didn't notice the small smile playing across her face. Secretly, Regina didn't hate Robin as much as people believed. She actually kind of liked him. When she turned around, and saw that Robin was still following her, she mentally laughed. He really didn't know when to give up, did he? "Alright." She sighed.

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright what?"

"I have to run into town to get snacks for the student council meeting. Do you want to come with me?"

Robin grinned and held up his keys. "Of course. I'll drive."

"You will not! I've seen you drive." Regina crossed her arms. Robin just laughed and the two argued their way down the hall to the parking lot.


	10. Funny Bunny

**AN: Thanks to everyone for the favorites/follows/reviews. And happy holiday to everyone who is/has been celebrating something this week.**

The sun had barely risen, but there were already groups of teenagers in the town field. They were setting up for the town Easter Egg Hunt. "It's 7 on a Saturday morning. Why are we here?" Emma complained.

"Because it's the right thing to do." Mary Margaret said. Emma rolled her eyes. "Now come on, there's a lot to do and we don't have much time. Go stuff eggs with Belle and Ashley. I have to talk to Regina." She went over to Regina, who was supervising as volunteers set up a tent. The two were running the event, and needed everything to go smoothly. After talking briefly, they parted ways.

David Nolan went over to Mary Margaret. "How's everything going?"

"it's going well, I think. I'm just afraid that something's going to go horrendously wrong."

"Everything will be great. You and Regina have this under control." He smiled. "Just relax. Here. I got you coffee and a bagel."

"My hero." Mary Margaret teased. "Hey, could you possibly help them with the tent? This thing's supposed to start any minute. We need all the help we can get." David nodded and went in that direction. Mary Margaret looked over and saw Robin having a fairly heated discussion with Regina. Robin eventually gave up and sulked off.

An hour later, the field was filled with little kids looking for Easter eggs. Jefferson Hatter had taken his little sister, Grace, to the town Easter Egg Hunt. He stopped to talk to some friends who were volunteering at the event. Then something caught his eye. For there, walking across the field with a scowl, was his friend Robin Hood, dressed like a giant rabbit.

"Hey Jeff, isn't that Robin?" Grace asked, giggling.

Jefferson chuckled. "I do believe it is." The aforementioned rabbit walked over.

"Not a word" Robin said to Jefferson.

"Whatever you say man." Jefferson tried not to laugh hysterically. "Nice ears."

Robin glared. "I'm going to go say hi to Ava." Grace said. She waved goodbye to her brother and Robin and skipped off.

"Seriously, how did they talk you into this?"

"I was the only one who fit the costume. At least that's what Regina said." He shook his head. Robin had only volunteered because Regina was running the event, but he hadn't been counting on it being this embarrassing.

Regina walked over. "Robin, we need you over there. The kids want to take pictures with you."

He groaned. "Fine." Regina nodded, and walked away. Robin watched her go.

Jefferson smirked. "Better get over there. I'll go check on Grace." He sauntered away whistling "Peter Cottontail" Robin made a mental note to get new friends. At least Killian wasn't there. Robin would have never heard the end of it. He grudgingly put on a smile and went over to the kids.

Mary Margaret and Regina watched the field. "So, was it your idea to make Robin the bunny?"

Regina shrugged. "He fit the costume." She replied with a slightly mischievous look in her eyes. Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow. "What? It's true."

"Whatever you say." She grinned. Whatever was going on between the class president and Robin Hood was good for both of them. Seeing the other girl's smile, Regina rolled her eyes and walked away. Emma promptly came and sat next to Mary Margaret with egg-shaped cookies.

"What's up with Regina?"

"She got Robin to dress up like the Easter Bunny."

"Oh really. I thought that was just what he wore on the weekends." Emma said sarcastically.

Mary Margaret giggled. "Hey, thanks for helping out with this whole thing. It really meant a lot."

"Anytime." Emma flicked the fake rabbit ears Mary Margaret was wearing. "But next time, volunteer to run something that isn't Saturday morning."


	11. Call Me Maybe

**So, after last night, I think we can all use some Outlaw Queen in our lives.**

Regina slammed her locker shut, frustrated. She checked her pockets for what seemed like the billionth time. _It's in the library. It has to be! _She started walking down the hallway. This was definitely not her day.

"Looking for something, Miss Mills?" a voice said behind her. Regina stopped in her tracks. _Of course. _Hands on her hips, she turned around with a scowl. Robin grinned and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a phone and dangled it in the air.

"Robin, give me my phone back." Regina said edgily.

"You could always say please." He teased. Regina walked forward and tried to grab it, but he held it out of reach.

"If you don't give that back, I swear-"

"Angry, are we?" Regina grunted in response and put her arms down. She gave up. Robin noticed and his smile faltered. She was clearly in a very bad mood; he didn't need to make it worse. He put his arms down. "Here." He tossed her the phone. She caught it quickly.

"Thank you."

"I took the liberty of adding my number." He grinned. She rolled her eyes, frowning. She seemed preoccupied. "Are you alright, Regina?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled halfheartedly. "See you." Regina turned to leave. Robin followed her.

"At least let me walk you to your car."

"Fine." The duo continued down the hall in silence. Regina's phone rang. She put it to her ear. "Hello? Yeah, ok. That's fine. I'll see you then. Bye." Robin was surprised how stressed she sounded. It was a side of her he'd never seen before. Regina hung up and groaned. Robin looked over and raised an eyebrow. "That was Sidney Glass. He's been driving me crazy with Student Council stuff." She explained.

Robin nodded. "I know him. He can be a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Tell me about it." Regina started talking about what was going on. Robin listened, sensing that she just needed someone to vent to. He held the door leading outside open for Regina. She smiled in gratitude and walked out. Her car was close to the school, so she pulled out her keys and unlocked it. Once they reached her car, Robin smiled. "Right, so I guess I'll see you around." He started to walk away.

"Robin?" He turned around. Regina looked unsure. "Do you want to go get coffee or something?"

"I'd love to." Regina smiled slowly. He smiled back. "Meet me at Granny's in a few minutes."

She held up her phone. "I'll call you."


	12. Movie night 1

"What do you want to do tonight?" David asked his girlfriend. It was a Friday, and they were bored out of their minds.

"We could go see a movie." Mary Margaret suggested. "There's got to be something good out." They looked through the list of movies in Storybrooke Cinemas. An action-packed superhero movie, a sappy romance, some stupid comedy. Nothing jumped out at them especially. Mary Margaret pointed at an animated musical that was listed. "Let's go see it."

"Mary-Margaret..."

"Come on, it'll be fun." She pleaded.

David rolled his eyes. "Fine. You're paying for popcorn, though."

She grinned. "Deal."

They got to the movies and found a seat towards the back. More people poured into the theater, mainly families with little kids. Mary Margaret grinned at a little girl dressed up like a princess. David did have to admit it was adorable how excited Mary Margaret was about seeing this movie. The room darkened, and commercials started. Throughout the 90 minutes, David constantly found to annoy him. The kids wouldn't stop talking, the talking animals were irritating, and whoever was behind him kept kicking his seat. Then he looked over at Mary Margaret. She was watching the screen attentively, a little smile on her face. David put his arm over the back of her chair. She leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

When the movie ended, Mary Margaret grinned at David. "Now was that so bad?"

"No comment." He said. "Let's go."

The couple left the movies and went to the ice cream shop down the street, where they were met with a surprising sight. Belle and Gold were sitting at a table chatting like the best of friends. Belle looked up and waved. Gold turned around and nodded. David and Mary Margaret ordered their ice cream and stood at the cash register. "Are they together?" David whispered to his girlfriend.

"I don't know." She glanced over. "They're an awfully cute couple, don't you think?"

David shrugged. He didn't really have an opinion about those sort of things. Mary Margaret stopped by the table to say a few words to Belle while David payed. He came over and handed Mary Margaret her cone. She smiled. "I guess we should be going. See you on Monday, Belle!"

"Bye guys!" Belle said back. Gold waved halfheartedly. David held the door open for Mary Margaret.

A few minutes later, they pulled up outside Mary Margaret's house. "I had a good time tonight." She said. David smiled. "Sorry you had to spend Friday watching a cartoon."

He laughed. "It's okay. But you owe me."

"Fine. Next weekend, _Avengers. _I promise." She leaned over and kissed him before getting out of the car. "Good night."


	13. Movie Night 2

On a Friday night, Emma parked her yellow bug and entered the revival theatre a few towns away. She got her ticket and popcorn, then sat down toward the back. After turning off her phone, she looked around. There were a few other people in the theatre waiting for the movie to start.

"As I live and breathe, Emma Swan," A voice said behind her. She rolled her eyes. _Of course_ he was there. She saw Hook climb over the row of seats and sit down next to her. "I didn't know you liked Errol Flynn movies."

"Hook, I didn't know you were stalking me." She responded drily.

"I wasn't. Apparently, we have more in common than you think." He leaned on the armrest the two seats shared. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. The movie's going to start soon. You should get back to your seat."

"Can't, love. The lights are going down, me moving would surely cause a disturbance." Hook smirked. "Guess I have to stay."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just don't talk to me." The lights shut off completely and the screen lit up. Before she knew it, Emma was caught up in the story, completely forgetting about her unwanted company. She didn't even complain when Hook stole some of her popcorn.

Hook looked over at her several times during the movie. She was so focused, mouthing along to some of the scenes. He found it fascinating that someone could be that engaged in a movie. It showed a different side of her; she seemed a lot more at ease here than she did at school.

After the movie, the lights went up. Emma looked at Hook, who gave her a half smile. "An excellent movie, really. _Captain Blood _has always been my favorite."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Your favorite movie was made in the 1930s?"

"Do you find that surprising?"

"Well, yeah." Hook did not strike her as a classic movie guy. The two walked out of the theatre together. Emma got to her car and opened the door. She smiled at Hook and shrugged. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Looking forward to it." He responded. Emma turned on the car and drove off. Hook watched her go. _Well, it certainly wasn't a date, _he thought, _but it's progress._


	14. A Pirate's Life for Me

"Got you!" Roland Hood screamed as he tackled Jefferson. Robin laughed at his little brother's antics. Roland got up and toddled over to Robin. "That was fun! Let's play pirates!"

"Alright, little man. Pirates it is." Roland grinned and brought out toy swords and bandanas for the boys to use.

"This is the last time I help you babysit." Jefferson grumbled as he lifted himself off the ground.

"Oh, come on. It's all in good fun."

"Easy for you to say. He loves you." Killian said with an eye roll. Robin ignored him and put on a fake eye patch. Roland ran back over.

"Ok. Robin and I are on that boat over there." Roland pointed to the porch. "And you guys are over there." He pointed at a tree.

"This doesn't seem very fair." Killian said to Jefferson as they went to their "pirate ship".

"Dude, we're playing with a four year old. Were you expecting fair?"

"Arrgh!" The four year old growled as he stuck a fake sword in the air. Jefferson bit back a laugh. The kid was cute, even if he might have permanently bruised Jefferson's back. Killian and Jefferson hid behind the tree.

"So what exactly are we doing in this game?" Jefferson asked.

"Swordfighting, looking for buried treasure, wearing bandanas." Killian replied. Roland started running over, screaming. Killian smiled and jumped out from behind the tree. "Arr, who be this?"

"I'm Captain Roland! Surrender, or I'll make you walk the plank!"

"Never!" Killian held up his sword and started dueling with the kid. He slashed and stabbed, careful not to actually hit him. Roland giggled and fought back. Eventually, Roland ran under Killian's arm and poked him in the stomach with his sword. Killian pretended to be hurt and fell to the ground.

Roland ran around the tree to find Jefferson. "Surrender!"

"Ok" Jefferson shrugged.

Roland crossed his arms. "Jeff, you gotta fight back, or it's not fun!"

"And wind up like my friend over there?" He gestured toward Killian. "No thank you."

"Robin, Jeff's not being fun."

Robin sauntered over. "Well, if he doesn't want to fight, then I think he has to walk the plank." Roland nodded. Jefferson glared at his friend. "Alright, to the plank!" Roland pushed Jefferson toward the porch. When they got up the steps, Robin pointed toward the yard. "Jump"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"This is insane." Jefferson muttered before jumping over the steps he had just climbed up. When he reached the ground, Roland ran down and knocked him over. Jefferson grunted in pain. Robin and Killian laughed.

"Ok Roland, I think that's enough for now. Why don't we go inside and get a snack?" Robin suggested. Roland grinned and ran inside. Robin went to help his friend up. "Are you all right?" He asked as Jefferson stood up.

"Never better. Next weekend, you're helping me with Grace." Jefferson folded his arms. "She's going through a princess phase. How do you feel about tiaras?"


	15. Summer Love

Ariel sat on her lifeguard's chair, bored. She had taken the summer job at the local pool because she had nothing better to do, but now she was regretting it. _I could be sleeping in or hanging out with my friends. _She thought. Suddenly, there was a scream from the pool. Ariel looked up to see a little boy flailing around in the water, calling for help. She immediately blew her whistle and rushed to the water. Ariel pulled the boy out of the pool and wrapped him in a towel. "Are you ok?"

The boy was still breathing heavily, but nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."

Ariel smiled. "No problem, it's my job." She noticed a boy about her age running their way. He had dark hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a t-shirt for a local summer camp. The little boy stood up and looked guilty.

"Hey, are you alright?" The older boy knelt down to look the younger one in the eye. The kid nodded. "Good. You could've gotten hurt. What did I say about going into the deep water?"

"Stay by the group if you can't swim good."

"Well" The older boy corrected. "Ok, I take it you've learned your lesson. Go back to the other kids." The little boy ran off and his counselor stood up. "I'm sorry if he caused any trouble." He smiled apologetically at Ariel.

"No trouble at all. He's a bit shaken up, but that's about it." She replied.

"Good. Hey, you go to StoryBrooke High, right?"

"Yeah."

The boy smiled. "So do I. I'm Eric, by the way."

"I'm Ariel. Nice to meet you."

Over by the pool gates, a bunch of kids started shouting for Eric. He looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Looks like I have to go. It was nice meeting you." Ariel smiled at him. He grinned back before going back to his campers. "See you around."

Ariel took one last look in his direction before climbing back onto the lifeguard's chair. _Looks like my summer just got a little more interesting. _


	16. Marian's Crush

**So this was a suggestion from DistrictThirteenTribute. Sorry it took so long, I got writer's block. Thanks a bajillion times over for all the support this story's been getting. And without further ado, here's the chapter**

Marian drummed her fingers on the counter. It was almost the end of her shift, and barely anyone had come in that day. The door opened, and a customer came in. Marian recognized him to be Robin Hood, a boy from her school. He came into the pizza place often, sometimes with his friends or his little brother. She had always thought he was cute. Robin walked up to the counter and smiled. "Hey"

"Hi. What can I do for you?"

"One pepperoni pizza please. To go"

"Alright." Marian shouted the order into the kitchen. "It'll be done in a few minutes. Feel free to have a seat." Robin smiled before going over to a table. Marian giggled slightly and watched him go.

Someone behind Marian cleared their throat. She turned to see her friend Aurora, who also worked there. "You like him, don't you?" Aurora said with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Robin? Well, um" Marian stuttered, then sighed. "Maybe a little."

Aurora giggled and nudged her. "Go talk to him."

"Are you crazy? He's a senior. He barely even knows I'm alive."

"You never know." Aurora smiled. A shout came from the kitchen. "Gotta go." Marian stood there a few moments longer, thinking. What if Aurora was right? She'd never know if she didn't give it a shot. Gathering her courage, she started walking over to him. She was interrupted by a new customer coming in. It was Regina Mills. Marian had never liked Regina; she was mean, pushy, and a bit full of herself. Regina looked over at Robin, a small smile on her face. Robin returned the smile when she sat down. Marian watched in shock. How could Robin like her, of all people? Didn't he know how awful she was?

Marian's thoughts were interrupted by Robin's order coming out for her to deliver. She took a deep breath and carried the pizza over. Robin saw her approach and stood up to take the box. "Thank you." He said. Marian could only nod. Regina stood up behind Robin. "Have a good day." He said before leaving with Regina.

Marian's heart broke a little when she saw them leaving together. Meanwhile, Aurora had come back to the counter. She noticed Marian's expression and gave a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. He's not that great anyway."

Marian looked over at her with a shrug.

"There'll be other fish in the sea. Jefferson Hatter's pretty cute." Aurora offered. Marian giggled. "Hey, you're gonna be okay." She hugged her friend. "I promise."


	17. Sick Day

Regina walked up to Emma before lunch. "Hey Regina, what's going on?"

"Mary Margaret."

"What about her?"

"Have you seen her yet today? She looks awful."

"That's very nice." Emma responded sarcastically.

"She's sick, you idiot. The real question is why is she in school?"

"I don't know. I'm not her mother. What do you want me to do about it?"

Regina crossed her arms. "Talk to her. She listens to you."

Emma sighed and walked into the cafeteria. She sat down at her table and looked over at Mary Margaret, who was coughing up a storm. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose bright red. Ruby sighed and handed her a can of orange juice. "Drink this."

Mary Margaret sniffed. "Thanks."

"Why the hell are you in school today? You should be at home."

"I'm- Achoo!- fine."

Ruby pressed a hand to her friend's forehead. "You're burning up. Get to the nurse now."

"No, no. I've got a test next period-"

"Which you can make up tomorrow." Emma pulled out her phone. "I'm calling David."

"Don't! He's in a class right now!"

"He's in study hall, and then he has lunch." Emma put the phone to her ear. "David? Any chance you can get out of study hall for a bit? Mary Margaret needs a ride home. Ok, see you then." She hung up. "He's on his way."

David walked into the cafeteria and went to their table. "What's up?"

"Nothing, David I'm fine. Tell Emma and Ruby-" Mary Margaret started having a coughing fit.

"She won't listen to us. Get her home please?" Emma said. David nodded. "Wait, get her to the nurse first. Just to be safe."

Emma and David went to visit Mary Margaret after school. She was curled up in bed, still coughing. "Don't come too close, guys! I have a 100 degree fever. I don't want to get you sick."

"And yet you went to school." Emma responded. She plopped down on the edge of the bed.

"I know, it's just-Achoo!-"

"You're worried about falling behind. Yeah, we know." David said.

"Look," Emma continued. "We love that you care so much about school, but when your personal health is on the line, it's time to take a break." Mary Margaret looked at them. She tried to say something, but wound up coughing. David ran out of the room, returning a minute later with a glass of water. She smiled gratefully. "Okay, it's time for you to get some rest. We'll check in again tomorrow." Emma stood up, motioning for David to come with her. When she looked back at the bed, Mary Margaret was passed out. "Her medicine must be kicking in. Let's go." David smiled gently and closed the door behind them. One thing was for sure: there was no way Mary Margaret would be in school tomorrow.


	18. The Sweatshirt

Aurora was walking home from work. Her job may not be the highest paying job, but it made her enough to go out with her friends, and that was all she cared about. She was brought out of her thoughts by a clap of thunder. "Great" Aurora muttered. All of a sudden, the skies opened up. Aurora bent her head down and started running for the nearest building.

The bell on the coffee shop door tinkled as Aurora burst in. She looked around and noticed Mulan sitting at a table in the back. She walked over and sat down. Mulan looked up. "Oh. Is it raining?"

Aurora huffed. "No, I just woke up looking like this. Of course it's raining!" Mulan smirked at Aurora's reaction. "Ugh, this is why I need to get my license. Things like this won't happen."

"It won't rain anymore?" Mulan laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"I do" Mulan conceded. "Now calm down and go get something to eat." Aurora rolled her eyes and went to the counter. She bought a coffee for herself, and a refill for Mulan. She sat down at the table and passed the other girl her drink. "Thanks."

"No problem." Aurora shivered. The rain had soaked her clothes and she was freezing.

"You okay? You're shaking."

"Yeah, just the rain." Aurora rubbed her hand over her arm, trying to stop the goosebumps.

Mulan looked concerned. "Hold on" She picked up her bag and started going through it; she eventually pulled something out and tossed it across the table. "Here." Aurora picked up the item, and realized it was Mulan's soccer sweatshirt. She gratefully pulled it over her head. "Better?" Mulan asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Anytime." Aurora smiled. Mulan's phone buzzed. She looked at it, rolled her eyes, and stood up. "Hey, I've got to go. See you later?" Aurora nodded. Mulan grinned and headed out of the shop.

Later that day, Mulan received a text. _This sweatshirt is awesome. You're never getting it back. :p_

Mulan laughed before replying. _FYI, that's been sitting in my gym locker for weeks._

_So? I'll wash it. _Aurora responded quickly.

After reading the text, Mulan shook her head with a smile.

_Fine, but you're explaining to coach why I don't have it._


	19. Snowball Fight

Emma wandered around the park. A fresh blanket of snow covered everything, and more was falling. She came to the center of the park. It seemed empty, but David had told her to meet him there. She sent him a quick response and looked around. "David? Where are-" Emma didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before a gloved hand pulled her down behind the snow bank. She turned her head, only to come face to face with Hook.

"What are you doing, Swan? We're at war."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Snowball fight. You're on my team." Hook explained. Emma looked at him skeptically. He held up his hands. "I had no part in picking teams."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Who are we up against?"

"Ashley and Sean, David and Mary Margaret, Tink, Hatter, Gold, and two sophomores. Aurora and Mulan, I think?"

Emma scanned the battlefield quickly. "So we've got Belle, Ruby, Ariel, Archie, Eric, Robin, and Regina."

"Aye. Any ideas?"

"Making snowballs would probably help us out."

Belle and Ariel crawled over. "Hey guys, what's the strategy?" Ariel whispered.

"Is there one?"

"No, but we're up against evil masterminds. Jefferson and Gold are on the other team. We need a strategy." Emma responded. She looked around and saw the other members of her team had crawled towards her. The group sat clustered together behind the snowbank.

"To win this, we'll need snowballs and a better fort." Robin assessed.

"I agree." Hook said. "Let's divide and conquer. Girls, you start making the snowballs, and the gentlemen will fortify our snowbank."

Ruby scoffed. "That's incredibly sexist."

"Let's just get started." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Who died and made you queen?" Regina muttered. Robin stood up to start fixing the fort. Suddenly, something hit him in the face. Emma could hear David laughing on the other side of the field.

"Looks like showtime." Ruby turned around to look at the group. "Where's Belle?"

"Guys, look" Eric pointed to a group of trees. Emma followed his gaze. Belle was crouching behind a large tree next to a pile of snowballs. When the other group's backs were turned, she threw a snowball at Jefferson's back, hiding back behind the tree before any of them noticed.

"What was that for?" Jefferson shouted at his team.

"Wasn't us" Tink said. They went back to work when Belle struck again. This time, she couldn't get behind the trees fast enough. "There!"

"Nice try, Belle!" Ashley laughed. Mulan and Aurora approached, each holding a large snowball.

"Alright team, let's go!" Ariel cried. The group of teenagers jumped up from behind their fort and charged. Members of the other team grinned evilly and prepared for the attack.

After, that, all hell broke loose. After a few minutes, no one remembered who was on whose team anymore. The group threw snow at each other blindly, hoping for the best. It wasn't long before everyone was soaking wet and exhausted. David stood in the middle of the group and help up his hands. "Okay, guys, I think that's enough for today." The group muttered consent. "Let's get inside"

"Hot chocolate at Granny's, anyone?" Ruby asked. The others cheered. "Alrighty then, to Granny's!"


	20. Brotherly Love

The weeks before holiday break, Ruby noticed that Emma had been acting weird. She kept looking at the calendar, and was getting more excited with each passing day. It was very different than her usual sarcastic self. Ruby couldn't help but wonder what Emma was looking forward to so much.

After watching Emma check off another day in her planner with a big smile, Ruby finally cracked. "Ok, spill. What are you so excited about?"

Emma looked down. "I'm just really looking forward to break."

"I don't believe that for a minute." Ariel said.

"Suit yourself." Emma shrugged.

Later that day, Emma, Ruby, and Ariel were walking out of the school. It was late, and freezing cold. Almost no cars were left in the parking lot. Ruby looked up, suddenly very intrigued. "Check out the cutie on the bike." Ariel followed her gaze, nodding in approval. Emma looked up, an enormous grin covering her face.

"August!" She cried, running to the guy standing next to the motorcycle. He smiled and waved. She nearly knocked him over with a hug. Ruby looked at Ariel and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Ems," The guy said, laughing.

"What are you doing here? We didn't think you'd come until next week!" Emma asked excitedly.

"Finished my exams early. Now, I'm home for the holidays and wanted to pick you up. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not!"

Ruby cleared her throat. "Emma, aren't you going to introduce us?" Ariel rolled her eyes.

Emma laughed. "August, these are my friends Ruby and Ariel. Guys, this is my brother August."

He smiled. "Nice to meet you." He turned back to Emma. "Are you doing anything right now?" Emma shook her head. August smiled. "Do you want to go to Granny's?" Emma grinned and nodded. August tossed her a helmet. She got on the back of the motorcycle and the pair drove off.

"Well," Ariel said with a smile, "I guess that's what she was counting down to."

...

Emma and August walked into Granny's. Mary Margaret, who was at a table with David, looked up and waved. Emma and August sat down at a booth. Ruby immediately walked over, now in her waitress uniform, and smiled flirtatiously at August. Emma rolled her eyes. "Emma never told me she had a brother"

August laughed. "Adopted brother, actually." Ruby shot Emma a questioning look and sat down next to her.

"I grew up in the foster care system. When I was about fourteen or so, August's dad Marco took me in."

"And we liked her so much we decided to keep her." August joked. Emma smiled across the table.

"You never told me that." Ruby said.

Emma shrugged. "It's not really something I like to talk about. All that matters is I have a family now. Not to mention great friends." She smiled at Ruby. Ruby nodded understandingly. She lived with her grandmother, so she knew how it felt to be from an unconventional family. It's not something everyone's comfortable talking about.

"Ruby Lucas, I can see you over there. Get back to work!" Granny shouted from behind the counter. Ruby grimaced.

"Guess I gotta go. Nice meeting you, August!"

"You too" He said as she got up. "So, what have you been up to this year?" August asked. Emma immediately launched into a discussion of the town goings-on since he'd gone back to school.

August and Emma left the diner hours later, still talking as excitedly as they had before. A surprised Marco opened the door for them when they got home. The trio stayed up watching cheesy holiday movies together and laughing. Emma went to bed that night with a huge grin on her face. As a kid, she'd always hated this time of year. All the cheer and family stuff reminded her of what she thought she'd never have. Now, December only served as a reminder of how lucky she was to finally have a group of people that loved her.


	21. Tis the Season

**So I was trying to get this up on Wednesday, but the internet crapped out on me and deleted about 80% of this chapter. Anyway, here it is, a little late. Happy Holidays, everyone!**

Ruby's house was abuzz with activity. She was hosting a party to start off the winter break. Guests started pouring in, the end of school making them over-excited. Ruby looked around with a grin. It would definitely be a fun night.

* * *

><p>Regina rolled her eyes as Robin Hood approached her. "I must say, Regina," he started, "I'm very disappointed in your lack of festive clothing, considering this is a holiday party. No hat, no ugly sweater, nothing."<p>

"Holidays aren't really my thing."

"Well, you're here, so you should celebrate. It's the first night of break. Eat, drink, be merry!"

"I don't do 'merry'" Regina deadpanned.

"You know, I think there's a book written about you. Have you ever been visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past?" Robin teased. Despite herself, Regina smiled.

"What are you even doing over here? Don't you want to spend time with your friends?"

"I believe Killian's off somewhere torturing Emma Swan, and Jeff's babysitting his little sister tonight. He's probably halfway through watching _Frosty the Snowman_ as we speak."

Regina chuckled. "Poor guy."

"He'll survive. So, any plans for the vacation?"

"College applications and avoiding my mother." She answered disdainfully. "You?"

"Spending time with family, mostly. Roland absolutely loves Christmas." He pulled up a picture on his phone of his brother sitting on Santa's lap at the mall. Regina smiled, but looked a little sad.

"Must be nice," she said, "having a happy family for Christmas." _That's an understatement, _Regina thought, _my family doesn't get along at the best of times._

Robin noticed her expression. "Maybe you could come over sometime during. Take part in the festivities. We'd love to have you."

Regina gave a small smile. "I'd like that."

* * *

><p>Hook was leaning on the doorframe when Emma walked in. "Happy holidays, Swan."<p>

"Hey, Hook," Emma said with a tight smile. Ruby saw her and waved her over.

"Not so fast, Swan" Emma tried to walk past when Hook grabbed her arm.

"What?"

"Look up." Emma did as she was told. There was something taped to the ceiling.

"Is that-?" She looked at him. Hook nodded. "Oh, no. Not happening"

"I'm afraid we have to. We can't go against tradition."

Emma looked to Ruby for help. Ruby held up her hand. "Sorry Ems, you're on your own for this one."

"Some friend you are." Emma mumbled.

"Shall we?" Hook asked.

"Fine." She leaned over and quickly kissed him. "Happy?"

"Yes, thank you"

"Just don't expect it to happen again." She said as she walked away, turning her back to Hook so he couldn't see her smirking.

Hook couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He hadn't been expecting her to actually do it. As she walked away, he hoped that it wouldn't be just a single occasion.

* * *

><p>"Merry Christmas" Belle heard someone say behind her. She turned around to see Gold holding a wrapped box. He handed it to her. "Here"<p>

"You didn't have to get me anything"

"I know. Now open it." Belle smiled graciously and unwrapped the present. Inside was a book. It looked old. Belle gasped when she read the cover.

"Jane Eyre? How did you know? It's one of my favorites!"

"Someone came into the pawn shop with it. Do you like it?"

"Yes!" She threw her arms around him. "Thank you so much!"

Gold froze for a minute, then slowly smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>The party was winding down, and Ruby was walking people to the door. Oblivious, Mary Margaret and David sat on the couch, cuddling. Emma walked over to them with three mugs of hot chocolate. "Hey, guys."<p>

"What, no cinnamon?" David teased.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's right here." Emma pulled a cinnamon shaker from her pocket. Mary Margaret eagerly gestured to her cup.

David shook his head. "I will never understand the obsession you two have with this stuff."

"We are not obsessed with cinnamon, just when it's on hot chocolate." Mary Margaret defended.

Emma nodded in agreement. "It makes it better, just trust us on this one."

"Whatever you say." David raised his mug. "To the new year!"

Mary Margaret and Emma clinked their mugs together and chorused, "To the new year!"


	22. The Recital

Jefferson never did ask Robin to babysit Grace with him. Oh no, it was worse: he made him go to her ballet recital.

Robin slumped in the uncomfortable chair. Jefferson looked over at him and smirked. "Come on, it won't be so bad." Robin scowled and smacked him. "That's no way to behave at a performance." Jefferson chided. They both got quiet when lights went down. The curtains came up to reveal the youngest class, about kindergarten or so. Robin laughed as they stumbled or forgot choreography. As the grades got older, he noticed the dancers slowly becoming more skilled. By the time Grace's year came around, the dances were actually very good.

After the show, Robin and Jeff went out into the lobby. They leaned against a wall, waiting for Grace. Then, they saw someone familiar.

"Hello guys, enjoy the show?" Tink asked with a wave.

"Tink? What are you doing here?" Jefferson looked at her, surprised. Before she could answer, Grace sprinted over, still wearing her costume. She was jumping up and down, a proud smile on her face.

She gave a big hug to everyone in the group. "Hi Robin! Hi Jeff! Hi Ms. Bell!"

"'Ms. Bell'?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

Tink ignored him. "Hi Gracie, you were wonderful." Tink was kneeling so that she could look Grace in the eye. "Did you have fun?" Grace nodded. "Good. That's what matters" Tink smiled, standing back up.

"Jeff, can I go say hi to Ava?" Grace asked.

"Sure, but don't take too long." The little girl skipped off. Tink began to walk away, but Jeff stopped her. "Hold up. What's with this 'Ms. Bell' thing?"

"I'm the assistant teacher in her dance class."

"She never told me that."

Tink shrugged. "She probably didn't know we knew each other. We're not really supposed to tell the students anything about our personal lives."

Grace came back. "Did you like the show, Jeff?"

He smiled. "Of course I did. You did a great job! Now, how about we go get some ice cream to celebrate?"

"Yeah!" Grace cheered. "Bye, Ms. Bell!"

"Bye, Grace." Tink responded. "Bye Jefferson, Robin."

"Goodbye, 'Ms. Bell'" Robin said with a laugh.

"See you in school" Jeff said.

Grace gasped. "You go to school with Ms. Bell?" Jefferson nodded. As they walked to the car, Grace talked nonstop. She was really energetic. Robin wondered if it was a good idea to give this kid sugar, but Jefferson knows best.


	23. Snow Day

Roland woke up late on a Wednesday morning. He crawled to the end of his bed and looked out the window. It was snowing pretty hard. Roland smiled, then got distracted. He smelled something. He put on his slippers and ran down the stairs. When he got into the kitchen, there was his big brother making pancakes. "Robin?"

Robin turned around and smiled. "You're finally up. Good morning, Roland."

"Why are you still here? You're supposed to be at school." Roland was used to his brother being away by the time he woke up. Was Robin sick? Robin chuckled.

"Have you looked outside, little man?" Roland nodded. "We have a snow day. Now, eat up." He put a plate of pancakes on the table. "After we have breakfast and get dressed, I'm taking you sledding."

"YAYYYYY!" Roland screamed. He got to spend and entire day with Robin? Awesome! The brothers sat at the kitchen counter to eat. Roland turned on the TV to watch his favorite cartoons. Robin always let him control the remote. When they were done, Robin cleaned up. "Can we go now?"

"Of course. Go get dressed." Roland grinned and ran upstairs, coming back five minutes later fully dressed. "Now, before we get ready to go outside, you have to go to the bathroom."

"But I don't need to" Roland protested.

"You will eventually. And then we'll have to get all this stuff off, then back on again." Roland still looked defiant. "Can you promise me you won't want to go to the bathroom after you've got your snow stuff on?"

He paused. "No."

Robin pointed. "Bathroom. now"

After what seemed like forever, Roland was dressed and ready to go outside. They walked through the snow to a hill by their house. There were already tons of kids sliding down the hill. Robin took Roland's hand and went to the top of the hill. He set down their sled. Roland sat down, excited. Robin sat behind him. "Are you ready, Roland?" He asked the bouncing toddler.

"Yeah! Let's go!" With that, Robin pushed the sled into motion. Roland screamed as they went flying down the hill. Robin laughed. When they coasted to a stop, Roland immediately jumped up. "Again! Again!" He cried. Robin nodded indulgently and brought the sled up to the top again. After the second ride, Roland wanted to go again. And so it continued for hours. Eventually, Robin could see that Roland was losing steam.

"Are you ready to go home, Roland?" Roland nodded sleepily. Chuckling, Robin picked him up and started walking home, dragging the sled behind them.

Once at home, they changed out of their snow clothes. Roland sat down on the couch with his big brother. "That was fun!"

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But now," Robin stood up. "I think it's time for a nap."


	24. Skate date

Gold was nervous. He'd never been ice skating before. When Belle asked him to come with her, he couldn't say no. The two were standing by the frozen over lake. Belle smiled and took a step onto the ice. She glided around a bit, then came back to Gold's side. "Come on, it's perfectly safe."

"If you say so" He took a cautious step onto the ice, struggling to stand up straight.

Belle took his hand. "You'll be alright. Just try not to pick up your feet too much. Now, step, glide, step glide." She spoke rhythmically, demonstrating what to do. "Now you try." She smiled.

Gold tried to do what Belle had been doing. She made it look so easy. He swayed from side to side. _Step, glide, step glide. __You can do this _he chanted in his head. He managed to make it a few steps out before completely losing his balance. Gold fell back and hit the ice with a loud thud. Belle gasped. She skated over. "Oh my god! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He said, blushing slightly. He tried to get up. Belle offered her hand. He took it, then fell again. "Sorry."

"Are you sure?" Belle looked concerned. Gold nodded. "Because we can stop any time you want to."

"I'm fine."

"Here, let's go slower." She started skating backwards, trying to help him as best she could. Gold was impressed by how patient she was being. He moved slowly, getting the hang of the movements. Belle smiled. "You've got it!" As he gained more confidence, he went faster. They skated around the pond. After a couple times around, Gold seemed tired. "I think that's enough for today." Belle said.

He nodded. They went to a bench to take off their skates. When they were finished, Gold stood up. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I'd like that." The pair left the park. Belle talked about the books she was reading, school, and about anything she could think of. Gold listened; he loved listening to her. When they got to Belle's house, she turned to him with a smile. "I had a great time today. Thanks for coming with me."

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow." He replied. Belle giggled and went into the house. Gold stood there for a moment, then started walking home, still smiling after a day with Belle.


	25. Be mine

**So I'm a day late on this one, but here it is anyway. Thank you for all the support for this story. I hope you all had wonderful Valentine's Days (or, you know, a wonderful Saturday if Valentine's isn't your thing.) Anyway, on with the chapter.**

Robin was leaning against Regina's locker when she came at the end of the day. She nodded at him, then noticed he was smiling at her. "What?"

He pulled a card out of his pocket. "Happy Valentine's Day" He smirked. Regina examined the card. It was taken out of a set of valentines for elementary schoolers. There was a picture of a banana with "you a-peel to me" written under it. Regina laughed.

"Puns. Very classy."

"Well, I was going to give you one with the washable tattoos attached, but that didn't seem like your style."

"Maybe not a tattoo, but I would've appreciated a lollipop or something." She teased. "But thank you for the card." She got her things out of her locker, Robin following.

"You're very welcome. And since it is Valentine's Day, I thought maybe you would do me the honor of going out with me tonight." Robin suggested. Regina turned to him, surprised.

"On a date?"

"Yes. If that's all right."

Regina hesitated, and Robin was worried he might've overstepped a boundaries. "Um, sure. Yeah. I'd love to." She smiled; he relaxed.

"Great. Can I pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

Later that night, when Robin went to pick up Regina, she was sitting on her front porch waiting. She got in the car and handed him an envelope. He opened it, chuckling when he saw what it was: a children's valentine, complete with washable tattoo.


	26. Hot Lava

"Mary Margaret?" David slowly opened the door. He took his shoes off and left them by the door. "Are you here? Your mom was outside and said I could just come in..." Mary Margaret appeared at the end of the hall. David began walking forward.

"Be careful!" She said, just as David started slipping around. He fell on the ground. "Mom just did the floors." Mary Margaret giggled.

"Thanks for the warning." He grunted. David tried to stand up.

"Sorry," Mary Margaret apologized. "The entire first level of the house is like this. You can't really get anywhere without sliding."

"How have you been moving around?"

"Remember when we were little and used to play that game where you can't touch the floor because it's lava?" David nodded. "It's been something like that."

"Okay," David chuckled. "So what are we going to do?"

* * *

><p>Leo Blanchard walked down the stairs. What he saw next confused him. In the living room were his daughter and her boyfriend, standing on the coffee table. They were laughing. David was trying to pull a stool closer to them without getting off the table. Mary Margaret saw Leo and waved, embarrassed. "Hi Dad."<p>

"Hi, sweetie. What's going on in here?"

"Um... the floor's hot lava?" She offered.

"Okay then." Leo decided not to ask. "I'm going to help your mother with dinner. Nice seeing you, David."

"Bye, Mr. Blanchard." David said.

Leo went into the kitchen to his wife. "Honey, why are those two standing on a coffee table?"

Ava shrugged. "It started off with my cleaning the floors and escalated from there."

"Well, I guess it's better than the other things they could be doing... but they better not leave footprints on the furniture."


	27. Passing Notes

Emma was sitting in history, trying to concentrate, when something hit her on the back of the head. A piece of paper fell on her desk. She opened it. "Hello Swan, how's your day going? -Killian." She rolled her eyes and wrote a reply on the paper. She passed it back to the desk behind her.

Killian unfolded the paper. "Really Hook? Passing notes?" was written in Emma's handwriting. He smirked and wrote a reply. Emma sighed. The teacher finished writing things on the board, turning around to face the class.

"Alright, now everyone break into small groups and discuss the article. Remember to answer the questions on the back." The kids in the class stood up to form groups. Ruby and Tink started heading over to Emma's desk. Hook sidled into the chair next to Emma.

"You didn't respond to my note." He pouted. Emma scoffed.

"Kinda busy trying not to fail this class." She muttered.

Ruby sat down. "Is Hook joining our group?" She asked Emma.

"That I am." he responded. "Hello Ruby, Tink."

"Hi Killian." Tink responded. "Let's work on the questions."

"Yeah. Should we all work together or divide them up?" Emma asked.

"Let's just talk them out. We'll write it all down later." Ruby said. "Let's look at number one." She began to read the question out loud as Tink searched in the textbook. Emma listened to her friends patiently; they were a lot better at this than she was.

Hook tried (and failed) to subtly slide a paper onto her desk. Emma huffed. Ignoring him, she worked through the first half of the questions with their group. Eventually, Tink glanced at Hook. "You've been awfully quiet today. What do you think for question four?"

"Hmm... Well I-" the bell rang. He smiled. "I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out." Tink rolled her eyes.

"Bye guys," Ruby picked up her bag and left. Tink followed. Emma started gathering her stuff until she realized that Hook was waiting for her.

"Where are you off to?" Hook asked.

"Algebra 2."

"Well, you're in luck. I'm on my way to precalculus." He grinned. Emma rolled her eyes at him for the millionth time that day. The two set off down the hallway together.


	28. Payback

Tink had known that her friends would cause problems on April Fool's Day. You can't hang out with people like Jefferson, Hook, and Robin and not expect some pranks to happen. They had done the usual things like reorganizing teachers' rooms and joy buzzers, but Tink drew the line when they took her backpack. Even though she'd gotten it back, they'd lost her math notebook and homework. Her teacher was furious with her. Tink was pretty mad too. She knew the guys hadn't meant to get her in trouble, but they had.

Which is why she went to Emma to help her teach them a lesson.

Emma advised her to wait a little bit to execute their plan. A week later, they put it into action.

Hook, Jefferson, and Robin were by their lockers. As luck would have it, their lockers had all been pretty close together. None of them noticed Tink and Emma standing down the hallway, watching them. Tink was giggling. "Stop," Emma warned. "They're going to notice something's up."

"Sorry." Their attention turned back to the guys. Jefferson unlocked his locker. As he opened it, a shower of glitter fell down on him. He looked at his friends, confused. Robin and Hook were laughing. Tink and Emma exchanged amused glances. Hook turned to his locker. When he opened it, another pile of glitter fell. Robin was still cracking up. He walked away, afraid that his locker might also have glitter in it. Tink couldn't hold it in anymore. Her and Emma started laughing hysterically. Jeff and Hook's heads turned to them. Emma motioned to Tink, hurrying them both down the hallway.

Ruby sat down at the lunch table with a confused look. "Guys, do you have any idea why Hook has glitter in his hair?"

"No idea." Mary Margaret answered. "Now that you mention it, Jeff Hatter was kind of sparkling too. Weird."

Ashley shot Emma a sideways glance. "Speaking of which..." she said as Hook approached the table.

"Swan," Hook leaned on an empty chair.

"Did you need something, Killian?" Emma smiled deviously.

"Well played. Give my compliments to Ms. Bell." He strode off. The girls all turned to Emma, asking what was going on. Emma just smiled and texted Tink about their success.


	29. Mother's Day

Ruth Nolan woke up to a crash, followed by muttering. She got up to find out what was going on. When she got into the kitchen she saw the cause of the noise. "David?"

The teenager turned around. "Mom? Go back to bed, you're not supposed to see."

"What's going on?"

"I was trying to make you breakfast in bed." He smiled sheepishly. "It's Mother's Day."

Realization struck Ruth. She chuckled. "That's very sweet of you Davey, but you really shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"I have plans to get brunch with Ava." She laughed. David slumped his shoulders, defeated.

"Can I at least give you your present?"

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Yes I did. It's Mother's Day." He handed her a box. Ruth opened it, then gasped. She held up a beautiful pair of earrings.

She hugged her son. "Thank you Davey."

"I love you Mom." David smiled. "Now go get ready for your brunch."

Half an hour later, Ruth was dressed and ready to go. She came into the living room, where David was watching TV. "You look nice, Mom. Have fun."

Ruth put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you coming?"

"What?" David stood up. "I thought it was just you and Mrs. Blanchard."

"It wouldn't be Mother's Day unless we spent it with our families. Come on. Your girlfriend's going to be there." She teased.

David blushed. "Ok I'll go." He put on his shoes. "Happy Mother's Day, Mom."


	30. Allergies

There were a lot of things Belle liked about spring: flowers, warm weather, baby animals. There was one thing that she didn't like: allergies. They'd started kicking in a few weeks ago, and Belle was going crazy. The itching, the sneezing, and the sore throat were killing her. By the end of the school day, she couldn't take it anymore.

Belle walked up and down the aisle of the drug store. She hadn't been in there much before, and had no idea where the allergy medication was. Between reading labels, she noticed that there was someone else in the aisle with her. It was a kid from her school, and he looked like he needed help.

"Hey, it's Jeff, right?" Belle walked up to him.

"Yeah. Hi" The senior was studying the boxes in front of him.

"Do you need any help? You look confused."

"No I'm fine, thanks." He said curtly. Belle shrugged. As she started walking away, he sighed. "Okay, maybe I do need help." Belle came back. "I need to get this today. It's for my sister. She's been coughing and scratching all day. My parents won't be home 'til late and she needs something now."

"Here, let me help." She pointed at each of the brands of medicine. "This one isn't very strong. This one works well, but she'll fall asleep an hour after taking it. That one smells funny, and I've never heard of this, so talk to someone else." She picked up a box. "This is what I used to take. It works pretty well, it's cheap, and it tastes like oranges. Will she be okay with chewing tablets?" Jefferson nodded. "Then give her these."

Jefferson looked at her in disbelief. He'd been standing there forever trying to figure out what to get and Belle had been able to tell him in five minutes. "Thank you."

"No problem. Allergies are the worst. Hope she feels better." Belle waved goodbye.

Jefferson bought the medicine and got it home to Grace. It didn't get rid of all of her symptoms, but she could breathe more easily. That was all that mattered to Jeff.


	31. Thanksgiving

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

"Marco! August is calling!" Emma brought her laptop to the kitchen counter. August was on Skype. Marco came over to look at the screen. His smile brightened.

"August!" Marco came to sit on a stool.

"Hi Pop." August smiled onscreen. "How's dinner coming?"

"Excellent. We're eating with some families from the neighborhood."

"We're in charge of the cranberry sauce and stuffing." Emma gestured to some foil-wrapped bowls on the counter.

"Sounds good. Did you guys watch the parade this morning?"

"Bits and pieces." Emma shrugged. "It's the same every year."

"You at least watched Charlie Brown, right?"

"Of course! I love Charlie Brown." Marco answered. Emma and August shared a look. "What are you going to do today?"

"I've got a few friends still on campus. We're going to get together later."

"I wish I could be there." August looked sad. It was his first Thanksgiving away from his family.

"We miss you." Marco told him.

"We'll have Thanksgiving dinner again when you get home." Emma said. Marco nodded. August smiled.

"And watch all the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends?"

Emma laughed. "Sounds perfect."

"Alright, I'll let you two get back to cooking. Have a good dinner."

"Happy Thanksgiving son!" Marco grinned.

Emma waved. "We love you."

"See you in three weeks." August smiled. "Bye!" He hung up.

Marco smiled. "It was good to see him." Emma knew he missed August. Marco went back to making stuffing. "This new technology is nice."

"Does that mean you'll finally get a smartphone?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"No way young lady." Emma chuckled. Marco checked his watch. "Look at the time! We have to go. Get your coat." She held the door open as Marco carried the dishes out to the car.


	32. Tough Cookie

'Twas two nights before Christmas and Regina already wanted to be as far away from her mother as possible. They always had their differences, but being off school and work meant they actually had to spend time around each other. Regina was not looking forward to the rest of break.

That all changed when she got a text from Robin inviting her to come make cookies with his family. It took her all of ten minutes to get out the door and to Robin's place. When she got there, she was shocked. Her family was never really big on holidays; there was an elegant tree that her mom put up, but that was more out of obligation than anything else. The Hoods' house was covered in homemade decorations and bright colors. Regina's mom would have been mortified. It made Regina smile, though. She knocked on the door. Robin opened it with a huge grin. "You made it!" He shouted over the festive music. Regina nodded. Robin led her to the kitchen, which was already a huge mess.

"It smells amazing." Regina said.

"What?" Robin couldn't hear her over the blasting music. He turned to someone in the other room. "Can you turn that down?" The music became a reasonable volume. He smiled. "That's better. Now, let's get baking, shall we?"

"ROBIN!" A little boy ran in wearing an elf hat. He tugged Robin's sleeve. "Are they done? Can we do the frosting?"

"Not yet little man." Robin chuckled. "Are you going to say hello to our guest?"

Regina kneeled down to be on eye level with the boy. "Hello, I'm Regina. What's your name?"

"Roland." He hid behind Robin. "When do we do frosting?"

"The cookies are coming out in two minutes. Then they have to cool off. And then we can frost them." Robin told him. "Go wash your hands."

"Robin! Robin!" Roland looked up at his brother. Robin knelt down. Roland whispered something to him.

"Hmmm, you're right." Robin grinned.

Roland went skipping off. Regina and Robin stood up. "What was that all about?" Regina asked.

"Roland was just pointing out to me that you aren't wearing a Christmas hat." He gestured to his own reindeer antlers. "You might have gotten away with your Grinch-like tendencies at Ruby's party, but it won't do in this household." He went to a box in the corner. He pulled out two hats. One was a Santa hat covered in jingle bells, the other was a top hat with a piece of holly on the brim. "Pick one."

"The black one." Regina answered instantly.

"I thought so." Robin tossed it to her. The timer on the oven went off. Robin grabbed an oven mitt and pulled two trays of cookies out. Roland came running in. "Not yet." The little boy pouted. "We can start making the next batch soon." Robin sighed. Roland cheered up after that.

"How many batches are you guys going to make?" Regina asked.

"Lots and lots!" Roland said. Regina giggled in spite of herself. "Tomorrow we bring them to the other houses. Like the lady on the corner who lives all alone." The four year old explained.

Regina was surprised. She wasn't expecting that. "That's very kind of you." She said to Robin.

He shrugged. "It's just a good thing to do. Plus, we get to make extra cookies, so there's really no downside. Speaking of which," Robin picked up his brother, "do you know what time it is?"

"Frosting and sprinkles time?" Roland asked hopefully. Robin nodded. "YAYYYYY!"

"Do you really think he needs more sugar?" Regina joked.

"Just you wait." Robin laughed. The trio moved towards the trays of cookies to start decorating. Regina's cookies turned out neat and simple. Roland's were a colorful disaster, and Robin's were somewhere in between. Regina smiled. This would be a lot more fun than spending another night at home.


End file.
